Light shield for television receiver cabinets



Dec. 2, '1947.

J. K. ROSE LIGHT SI' IIELD FOR TELEVISION RECEIVER CABINETS Filed June 13, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Dec. 2, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIGHT SHIELD FOR TELEVISION RECEIVER CABINETS 17 Claims.

This invention relates to television receivers of the type including an extensible light shield forming a shadow box for shielding the image exhibiting member from extraneous light, and particularly to the construction of the extensible light shield.

The image exhibiting member of a television receiver may be the screen of a cathode ray tube or a mirror, and a single cabinet is usually provided for housing the television receiver and a radio receiver. Television cabinets having a panel about the image exhibiting member and an extensible light shield normally collapsed within a panel recess bordering the image exhibiting memher are described and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 443,104, filed May 15,- 1942. The present invention contemplates light shields formed by an extensible bellows or by a plurality of independently extensible shield members, and cooperating supports for the extended members that aiford greater latitude in the adjustment of the extended light shield with respect to the image exhibiting member.

Objects of the invention are to provide television receivers including extensible light shields made up of independently movable shield elements that may be concealed within the cabinet when the light shields are not required for a clear. vision of the image. Other objects are to provide television receivers in which the extended light shield may be adjusted vertically, or both vertically and horizontally, as may be desired. An

' enlarged scale, of a supporting arm and its hinge object is to provide a television receiver in which the cabinet has recesses for normally housing extensible shield members, and sectional frame members that normally close the recesses, the frame members being movable outwardly from the casing to extend or to support the shield members and being angularly adjustable when in outward position to alter the angular arrangement and/or the dimensions of the extended shield.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification when taken with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the top portion of a television receiver embodying the invention, the shield members being in normal or inoperative positions;

Fig. 2 is a similar fragmentary perspective view showing the hinged casing sections, which support the light shield, in operative position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the light shield in extended position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view, on an connection to the receiver casing;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view, with parts in section, of the supporting arm;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of another embodiment of the invention in which the pivoted supports for the extensible shield members are doors that cover the image exhibiting member when the television receiver is not in use;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the same with the extensible shield members in outer position to form a rectangular box or light shield;

Figs. 8 and 9 are fragmentary perspective views showing further adjustments of the light shield members; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a guide arm and horizontally adjustable shield assembly.

In the drawings, the reference numeral l identifies the cabinet which houses a television receiver having an image exhibiting member or kinescope screen 2 and, preferably, a radio receiver including a loud speaker, not shown, that is positioned back of the grill section 3 of the cabinet.

The front wall of the cabinet includes a fixed or relatively fixed panel 4 around the screen 2 and movable wall sections that form a frame or border for the panel 4 when the light shield is in normal collapsed position within the cabinet and that support the light shield when it is extended into operative position. The wall section 5 is of U-shape; as seen in elevation, and forms the sides and bottom 01 the frame around the panel 4, and a pair of pivotally mounted arms 6, 6 form the top of the frame. The arms 6, 6 are of generally C-shape in cross-section, with narrow flanges 1 projecting from the lower edges of the guide slots, to provide guideways and supports for an extensible light shield 8. The light shield is a bellows of rectangular cross-section with the front edges of its side and bottom walls secured to the U-shaped frame member 5 and with supporting rods 9 secured to the front edge and to spaced folds of the top wall. The ends of the rods 9 rest upon the fianges l of the supporting arms 6, 6, and the forward rod 9 terminates in enlarged heads II] that enter the guideways to prevent a lateral separation of the supporting arms and the bellows.

The arms 5, 6 may be tilted upwardly or downwardly as indicated by the broken lines in Fig.-3, to adjust the light shield into the position best suited for observation of the image exhibiting screen 2 by the spectator or spectators. A special pivotal mounting is required to permit this angular movement of the supporting arms 6, 6 about axes at right angles to each other when, as is obviously desirable, the receiver cabinet is to be of neat and attractive appearance when the light shield is in normal collapsed position as illustrated in Fig. 1. One satisfactory form of hinge system, and the detail construction of a tubular metal supporting arm, are shown in Fig. 4. The inner end of the web of the arm 6 is pivotally connected, for angular adjustment about a horizontal axis, to the angularly bent leaf II of ahinge comprising a pin I 2 vertically supported in approximately the plane of the front wall of the casing I by the hinge straps I3. A notch or slot I4 is cut in the edge of the casing I for the flush mounting of the straps I3 and to provide a space to receive the hinge leaf II when the arm 6 is turned back to normal position with its outer surface substantially in the plane of the front wall of the casing. The pivotal connection of the arm 6 to the hinge leaf I I includes a pivot rivet I5 extending through the members and an interposed spring washer I 6 that introduces frictional resistance to prevent inadvertent shifting of the arm 6 about its pivot. Additional frictional resistance and guiding support for the arm 6 may be provided by a rivet I! that is fixed to the web of arm 6 and extends through an ar cuate slot I8 of hinge leaf I I to compress a spring washer I9 between the arm and hinge leaf.

The inner ends of the flanges of the supporting arms 6 are cut back or flared to facilitate the entrance of the rod 9 into the guiding slotv of the arms. A pair of spring members 26 are secured to and within the outer ends of the arms 6 for cooperation with the ball ends IU of the forward rod 9 to retain the shield bellows 8 in extended position.

The method of operation of the light shield will be apparent from the above description. The bellows 8 is of fixed size and shape but its location with respect to a line normal to the center of the image exhibiting screen may be adjusted horizontally by movement of the hinge leaves II about the hinge pins 12 and adjusted vertically by movement of the supporting arms 6 about the pivot members l5.

Greater latitude of adjustment is afforded by the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 6 to inclusive. A cabinet 2-1 houses the receiver equipment which includes an image exhibiting screen '22 within a panel 23 of the cabinet, the screen 22 and panel 23 being preferably set back from the front surface of the cabinet to provide a shallow depression for receiving the pair of hinged doors 24, 24 when the receiver is not in use. The-upper portions of the doors include finishing strips 25, 25 that are flush with or otherwise blend into the outer surfaces of the doors, and inner guide tracks 26-, 26 respectively for the ball ends, not shown, of the supporting rod 28 at the front end of an extensible bellows 29. The guide tracks have narrow flanges on which the lateral edges of the bellows 29 rest and are supported by additional rods 28. The outer strip 25 is connected to the door 24- for upward tilting movement by a hinge 30, and to the guide track 26, for angular movement about vertical axes by hinge 3i, see Fig. 10, and the strip 25' is connected in a similar manner to the door 24" and guide track 26. The inner and outer members 25, 26 and 25', 26' of the respective assemblies are connected by bellows shield members 32, 32"

that are normally collapsed within the space between the L-shaped outer members 25, 25 and the associated guide tracks 26, 26. Shield members 33, 33 of rigid sheet material, for example metal, cardboard or a synthetic resin, are attached to and move upwardly with the strips 25, 25' when the latter are tilted upwardly, the shield members 25, 25' being movable in slots in the upper edges of the doors 24, 24' respectively.

A similar arrangement of outer strips and sheet material shield members may be provided at the bottom edges of the doors 24, 24 but, as illustrated in Figs. 6 to 10, no provision is made for a downward tilting of the lower bellows 34 when extended and supported in guide tracks 35, 35" at the lower edges of the doors 24, 24'. The guide tracks are normally seated within notches in the lower edges of the doors, and are connected to their associated doors by bellows 36, 36' respectively. The rear ends of the guide tracks are connected to the doors by hinges, not shown, that retain the guide tracks in horizontal position when one or both of the doors are turned back, as shown in Fig. 9, to expand the outer end of the light shield.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 443,104 in which I have illustrated, in Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive, a television receiver having a light shield comprising a pair of hinged doors and collapsible wall members that are supported, when in extended positions, by guide tracks on the doors. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular constructions herein illustrated and described, and that various changes may be made in the several parts, their shapes and relations, without departure from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for viewing an image, a cabinet, an image exhibiting member supported by said cabinet, an extensible light shield normally concealed within said cabinet, means for supporting the light shield in extended position, and means mounting said supporting means for angular adjustment with respect to said image exhibiting member.

2. In apparatus for viewing an image, the in vention as recited in claim 1 wherein said supporting means comprises a plurality of independentl movable guide means pivotally supported upon said cabinet, and said light shield includes an extensible wall member secured to means adapted to be received in and supported by said guide means when the latter are angularly adjusted to project forwardly from said cabinet.

3. In apparatus for viewing an image, the invention as recited in claim I wherein said supporting means comprises a plurality of independently movable guide means pivotally supported upon said cabinet, and said light shield includes a bellows of substantially rectangular cross-section secured to means adapted to be received in and supported by said guide means when the latter are angularly adjusted to project forwardly from said cabinet.

4. In apparatus for viewing an image, the invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said supporting means comprises a plurality of independently movable guide means pivotally supported upon said cabinet, and said light shield includes an upper and a lower extensible wall member secured to means adapted to be received in and supported by said guide means when the latter are angularly adjusted to project forwardly from said cabinet.

5. In apparatus for viewing an image, the invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said supporting means comprises a plurality of independently movable guide mean pivotally supported upon said cabinet for angular movement about two axes at right angles to each other, and said light shield includes an extensible wall member secured to means adapted to be received in and supported by said guide means when the latter are angularly adjusted to project forwardly from said cabinet.

6. In apparatus for viewing an image, a cabinet, an image exhibiting member mounted in 7 said cabinet, an extensible light shield including at least one collapsible member normally housed within said cabinet, means for supporting said collapsible member in its forwardly extended position, and means mounting said supporting means on said cabinet for angular adjustment about an axis extending substantially through the cabinet end of the extended collapsible member, whereby the angular arrangement of the extended collapsible member of the light shield may be varied.

7. In apparatus for viewing an image, a cabinet, an image exhibiting member, and a light shield for said image exhibiting member, said light shield including a pair of pivotally supported cabinet sections, and collapsible means of flexible wall form normally housed within said cabinet to leave an unobstructed view of said image exhibiting member, said pivotally mounted cabinet sections including guide means movable into spaced relation to support said collapsible means in extended position.

8. In apparatus for viewing an image, the invention as recited in claim 7, wherein said cabinet sections comprise a pair of arms of approximately channel form to constitute said guide means.

9. In apparatus for viewing an image, the invention as recited in claim 7, wherein said cabinet sections comprise a pair of arms pivotally supported for angular movement about two axes at right angles to each other.

10. In apparatus for viewing an image, the invention as recited in claim 7, wherein said cabinet sections comprise a pair of doors hinged to the cabinet at opposite sides of said image exhibiting member, and said collapsible means comprises an upper wall member.

11. In apparatus for viewing an image, the invention as recited in claim '7, wherein said cabinet sections comprise a pair of doors hinged to the cabinet at opposite sides of said image exhibiting member, and said collapsible means comprises an upper wall member and a lower wall member.

12. In apparatus for viewing an image, a cabinet, an image producing system including an image exhibiting member, and a light shield for said image exhibiting member; said light shield comprising a plurality of relatively movable cabinet sections, extensible light shield members of flexible material normally collapsed and housed within recesses of said cabinet sections adjacent said image exhibiting member, and guide means for one of said extensible members secured to each of a pair of movable cabinet sections at the opposite edges of said guided extensible member.

13. In apparatus for viewing an image, the invention as recited in claim 12, wherein said relatively movable cabinet sections comprise a cabinet proper and a pair of door assemblies pivoted thereon for angular movement about spaced parallel axes into closed position to cover the image exhibiting member or alternatively into open position to expose the same to view; each door assembly including a guide member at one edge thereof and an outer member connected thereto by an associated extensible light shield member, the said guide members constituting said guide means for an extensible member spanning said door assemblies when the latter are moved into open position.

14. In a television receiver, the invention as recited in claim 12, wherein said relatively movable cabinet sections comprise a cabinet proper and a pair of door assemblies pivoted thereon for angular movement about spaced vertical axes into closed position to cover the image exhibiting member or alternatively into open position to expose the same to view and to form the side walls of the light shield; each door assembly including a guide member at the upper and the lower edge thereof to constitute guide means for top and bottom extensible members normally housed within the cabinet proper and movable into extended position to span said door assemblies when the latter are moved into open position.

15. In a television receiver, a cabinet, an image producing system including an image exhibiting member mounted in said cabinet, a forward facing panel framing said image exhibiting member and having a recess bordering said image exhibiting member, an extensible wall member housed in said recess and adapted to be forwardly extended therefrom to form a light shield for the image exhibiting member, a pair of hinged doors carried by said cabinet at opposite ends of said panel adapted in closed position to overlie said panel and in open position to extend outwardly at right angles thereto, said doors having guide means for said extensible wall member when said doors are in the open position, and means carried by said extensible wall member for engaging said guide means when said wall is extended with said doors in said open position whereby to support the extended portion of said extensible wall member on said doors.

16. In a television receiver, a cabinet, an image producing system including an image exhibiting member mounted in said cabinet, a forward facing panel framing said image exhibiting member having a horizontally extending recess above and below said image exhibiting member, an extensible wall member housed in each of said recesses and adapted to be forwardly extended therefrom to form the top and bottom wall of a light shield for the image exhibiting member, a hinged door at each end of said panel adapted in closed position to overlie the same and in open position to extend outwardly to form the sides of the light shield, said doors having guideways adjacent the top and bottom thereof, means on said extensible wall members for engaging said guideways when said walls are extended with the doors opened whereby to support the extended portion of said wall members on said doors, and means for elevating the outer ends of the guideways adjacent the upper edges of the doors to adjust the position of the outer edge of the upper extensible wall member when in extended position.

17. In apparatus for viewing an image, a cabinet, an image exhibiting member mounted within said cabinet, means providing side wall portions extending forwardly of said image exhibiting member to form a light shield at either side thereof, means providing a top wall portion ex- 7 8 tending between said side wall portions and for- REFERENCES CITED Wardly of said image exhibiting member means The following references are of record in the mounting said top wall portion on said cabinet for angular adjustment about a horizontal axis file of thls patent whereby to permit elevation of the forward edge 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS thereof, and side shield members carried by said Number Name Date top wall portion adapted to bridge the space be- 922411 Folmer May 18, 1909 tween said side wall portions and said top wall 2368882 Rose Feb 6 1945 portion when the latter is adjusted about said horizontal axis to elevate the forward edge 10 FOREIGN PATENTS thereof- Number Country Date 532,528 France Nov. 16, 1921 JOSEPH K. ROSE- 817,271 France Aug. 31, 1937 Certificate of Correction 7 Patent No. 2,431,830. December 2, 1947. JOSEPH K. ROSE It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Column 6, line 12, claim 14; line 27,

claim 15; and line 47, claim 16, for In a television receiver read In apparatus for viewing an image; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of February, A. D. 1948.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Oommissioner of Patents. 

